Lowe's Releases Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Lowe's Releases Corporate Social Responsibility Report

Report details company's progress on workplace, community and environmental commitments

MOORESVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Lowe's today announced the release of its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, providing a comprehensive review of Lowe's corporate citizenship activities during the past fiscal year. The report can be viewed on the company's CSR website at Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.

As the underwriter of Habitat for Humanity's Women Build program, Lowe's has brought women from all walks of life together to support the nationwide initiative that challenges women to devote at least one day to help eliminate poverty housing. More than 800 Lowe's Heroes were among the 8,600 female volunteers building homes across all 50 states. (Photo: Business Wire)

This year's report is titled "Better. Together." It highlights the programs, partnerships and people advancing Lowe's commitment to build a world-class workplace, strengthen communities and provide environmental leadership.

"Helping to enhance the quality of life for our neighbors has defined Lowe's culture for more than 60 years," said Robert A. Niblock, Lowe's chairman and CEO. "This report documents our ongoing efforts to remain a respected corporate citizen. With the dedication of more than 234,000 employees, we look forward to continuing to work together to create a sustainable future for our communities and our company."

The multimedia report is divided into three major sections - Workplace, Community and Environment. Each section details Lowe's progress in important areas ranging from diversity and inclusion to energy management. In-depth stories, videos, photo galleries and an interactive map allow visitors to explore how Lowe's is meeting the needs of its customers, communities and employees across North America. Here are a few highlights:

Workplace

    --  Lowe's launched a pair of precedent-setting benefits: a partnership with
        the Cleveland Clinic to offer heart surgery at no cost to eligible
        full-time employees; and a national bus tour to provide free health
        screenings to more than 70,000 Lowe's employees. The report profiles a
        Turnersville, N.J., employee who credits a screening with saving his
        life.
    --  Lowe's Employee Relief Fund distributed more than $2 million and
        assisted nearly 2,000 Lowe's employees and family members who suffered a
        significant financial hardship, including helping to reunite a manager
        in South Lexington, Ky., with his family in Haiti after a devastating
        earthquake left them homeless.
    --  The company expanded its Lowe's Heroes employee volunteer program to new
        stores in Mexico. Companywide, Lowe's Heroes participated in more than
        1,300 improvement projects and Lowe's contributed more than $1.3 million
        in materials.

Community

    --  Lowe's joined with Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation to
        support more than 3,100 community and education projects in the United
        States, Canada and Mexico through grants totaling more than $30 million.
        Lowe's Toolbox for Education(R) awarded more than $4.2 million to nearly
        1,000 schools in all 50 states.
    --  Lowe's expanded its efforts to revitalize neighborhoods and provide safe
        and affordable housing. Through participation in Habitat for Humanity's
        Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project and a national home
        weatherization initiative with Rebuilding Together, hundreds of Lowe's
        Heroes helped build and repair homes in 14 U.S. cities.
    --  Lowe's provided vital assistance in the aftermath of several disasters,
        ranging from a tornado in Ohio to floods in Tennessee and Mexico. Lowe's
        and its customers donated more than $1.6 million to the American Red
        Cross earthquake relief efforts in Haiti and Lowe's Heroes helped
        Nashville homeowners rebuild after historic floods.

Environment

    --  Lowe's success promoting energy and water conservation brought
        unprecedented honors from the Environmental Protection Agency. Lowe's
        was named the first winner of the ENERGY STAR(R) Sustained Excellence
        Award in Retail and became the first retailer to win the WaterSense(R)
        Retail Partner of the Year Award in consecutive years.
    --  Lowe's opened stores in San Francisco, Calif., and Quincy, Mass., with
        rooftop energy-generation systems that use solar power, bringing Lowe's
        total solar locations to seven. To help advance the use of renewable
        energy, Lowe's also partnered with Appalachian State University to
        support its entry in the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon.
    --  Lowe's stores and distribution centers recycled nearly 1 billion pounds
        of wood pallets and cardboard. In addition to expanding appliance and
        Garden Center recycling programs, Lowe's installed recycling centers in
        more than 1,700 stores to provide an easy way for customers to recycle
        rechargeable batteries, cell phones, CFLs and plastic bags.

To learn more about these stories and Lowe's latest social responsibility activities, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.

About Lowe's

With fiscal year 2010 sales of $48.8 billion, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE(R) 50 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a week at more than 1,750 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6735830&lang=en


    Source: Lowe's Companies, Inc.